Polo Development

Summer fun

Youth tournaments played from coast to coast

By Hayley Heatley

All-Star Olivia Reynolds’ Tito was Best Playing Pony at the Maryland NYTS qualifier.

Acme Stove’s Robyn Leitner, Alea Crespo, Cate Godey and Stuart King won at Roseland Polo Club.

Out of concern for the health and safety of players, their families and the local polo community, the USPA has postponed this year’s NYTS National Championship event. After careful consideration of travel restrictions and local government guidelines, there were simply too many factors impeding our ability to host a safe and memorable championship event for our youth players at this time. We recognize that many USPA NYTS host clubs have faced similar challenges with hosting qualifiers this season and have extended the qualifier deadline.

Throughout this unusual year, host clubs did a fantastic job adapting to the circumstances and provided a fun and welcoming atmosphere to youth players. Face masks and socially distanced trophy pictures became the norm, but the players were resilient and took advantage of the opportunity to play polo with and against peers.

Prior to the pandemic, Empire and Eldorado Polo Clubs each hosted their annual events. Eldorado’s five-team tournament was played over two days with Bush League (Teo von Wernich, Quinn Kyle, Micaela Saracco, Jazmin Trotz) emerging as the winner over Boss Polo (Bayne Bossom, Grace Gonzalez, Nick Fernandez, Rose Gonzalez). All-stars included Grace Parker, Grant Palmer, Lars Neumann, Teo von Wernich, Bayne Bossom, Piers Bossom, Riley Jordan and Micaela Saracco.

A few weeks later, Empire Polo Club hosted a three-team tournament as part of the “Polochella” Junior Tournament. From lead-line to NYTS, the participants demonstrated sportsmanship on and off the field, volunteering to help throughout the day when not playing. The tournament was played in honor of Margery Magill, who was killed while walking her dog in Washington D.C. last year. Proceeds from the dinner and junior tournament benefited the National FFA Organization’s Give Blue program, which provides traditional corduroy jackets to members of Future Farmers of America, an organization near and dear to Margery’s heart. The jackets help unify members and remind them they are part of something larger than themselves. Elise Pardue, Grace Parker, Lars Neumann, Colby Smith and J. Martin Perez were named all-stars.

On the East Coast, Aiken hosted six teams at the end of May to kick off a series of summer NYTS qualifiers. The Aiken community supported a fantastic 2019 NYTS National Championship and has been growing an active youth polo program. Chris Veitch, Josh Escapite, Sophie Grant, Hope Arellano, Aiden Meeker, Summer Kneece, Nick DeValentino, Reagan Leitner and Jack Whitman

were recognized as all-stars. Moving west, Houston organized a three-team round robin comprised of many local players. Brother and sister, Lily and Joe Bob Lequerica were named all-stars along with Vance Miller, Lance Stefanakis and Niklaus Felhaber. Houston’s NYTS tournament was played alongside the Houston Polo Club’s annual kids’ tournament with lead-line, walk-trot and canter divisions.

Blackberry Polo Club in Illinois attracted many young players to participate in its NYTS tournament. Winston Painter, Aiden Meeker, Grace Mudra, Ramon Caro, Kelsey Bray, Will Mudra, Maximo Font, Saralyn Painter and Winifred Branscum finished as all-stars.

The centrally-located Nashville Polo Club organized a round-robin tournament. The Ashblue team (Max Scott-Barnes, Robby Mooney, Vance Miller, Zac Wallace) came away with the win. Allstars were Finn Secunda, Vance Miller, Caroline Mooney, Gracie Brown and Zac Wallace.

Maryland Polo Club fielded two divisions with two teams each for its NYTS tournament. Past Girls’ NYTS National Championship winner Sophie Grant was recognized as an all-star along with Madison Jordan, Brianna Jordan and Olivia Reynolds in the A-flight. Esteban Penados, Josie Dorsey, Kylie Beach and Rory Knox each received all-star medals in the B-flight.

The Roseland Polo Club hosted its NYTS tournament at the beautiful King’s Family Vineyard polo field. Reagan and Robyn Leitner, Zac Coleman, Alea Crespo and Virginia Gwinn were named all-stars.

Things got rockin’ and rollin’ in the Northeast as the summer progressed. Gardnertown, Buffalo and Boston Polo Clubs each hosted fantastic and lively tournaments for local players. At Buffalo Polo Club, Hunter van der Burgt, Brona Mayne, Kat Gaulin and Julia Northcott were recognized for their efforts in horsemanship, sportsmanship, playing ability at current handicaps and ability to play as members of their teams.

Boston Polo Club nominated Taylor Palacios, Vlad Tarashansky, Matteo Chaux, Landen Daniels, Caleb Kingsbury, Brynn Whitten and Rehan Kumble as all-stars.

Gardnertown Polo Club fielded two teams in a close match that ended with Gardertown Polo (Connelly Cashen, Nico Diaz Alberdi, Elizabeth Leudsdorff, Jonathan Wallace) edging Barton Farm (Eduardo Palacios, Vlad Tarashansky, Matteo Chaux and Max Gundlach), 6-5. Nico Diaz Alberdi,

Matteo Chaux, Max Gundlach and Eduardo Palacios were added to the growing list of all-stars for the season.

Towards the end of July, South Bay, Big Horn, Cerro Pampa and Black Diamond Polo Clubs hosted tournaments for their NYTS enthusiasts. All-stars for South Bay included Taylor Olcott, Ajay Moturi, Elise Pardue, Liliana Gonzalez and Alyssa Garcia. All of the all-stars named at South Bay were also participants in the I/I season. Cerro Pampa recognized Ryan Kerley, Caroline Matthews, Liliana Gonzalez, Marco Esposto and Camila McFall. At Black Diamond, Adam Ramson, Will Schneider, Nadia Stobbe and Matt Schneider were named allstars.

With the qualifier season extended, clubs can still host a tournament. Interested clubs please contact NYTS@uspolo.org to schedule a date. Information regarding the NYTS National Championship will be forthcoming. •

Lance Stefanakis hooks Niklaus Felhaber in the NYTS at Houston.

Max Scott-Barnes, Robby Mooney, Vance Miller and Zac Wallace won in Nashville.